I've fixed the video links. Thanks ladies! Honestly, I think this rivals Moonlight as Alex's best work. It is devastating. And the video captures that devastating sadness, and also the indomitable spirit of Will and Mary. A doomed story from the very beginning, but that never stopped them from trying.

Well, I finally watched Mary Byrant for the first time. Mr. MLC even watched it with me - for the historical aspect. (Me, too. ) I really liked it, and they all did a fantastic job in their roles! (I was surprised at how many familiar faces were in it!)

I had held off from watching it because I thought it was going to be too sad. I had seen the clip from when Will was shot, so I knew it was coming. As someone posted earlier, the scene where the children died on the ship had me crying the most, but I wasn't sobbing. (And believe me, I can sob at movies!) I was actually more upset at watching the whipping of Elizabeth and the gang rape scene.

I thought the movie was going to end when Will got shot, so I had no idea how it was going to end. I was afraid I'd have to watch Mary get hung. It really moved me when Mary said at her trial that if she had just been content with her lot and stayed in the colony, her family would still be alive. But they needed to be free, and she didn't want her children to be hungry.

I have a question... do you think the children would have died anyway had they stayed in Timor? The VO said they died from a tropical disease.

Also, we looked up Mary Bryant on Wikepedia. I always want to know how accurate "true story" movies are (but then I'm usually mad at myself for finding out ). There are some key elements that were changed, and frankly, I'm glad they changed them. Here's two, if you want to know:

Spoiler:

1. Will did not have permission to keep some of the fish he caught for the colony, and so when he was caught selling some of them for his own profit, he got 100 lashes. I could barely make it through Elizabeth's 25.2. Will wasn't shot at all. He was sent back on the ship with Mary and the children. Will and his son Emanuel died on the ship from fever a few weeks apart; Charlotte died 5 months later. I'm sure all of that would have had me sobbing.

So I'm glad I watched, I'd watch it again, and thanks to Kath40 for the push to give it a try.

I'm so glad you finally watched this MLC. It's one of his best performances IMO. Thanks for posting the differences in the "artistic liberty" taken for the movie and what actually happened. I think I would have liked it either way cause Alex is just that good at what he does with any given character.